Introduction to Economic Anthropology

ANTHRO 1717 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

This course explores fundamental questions about economic life through an anthropological lens: What is a market, and how do different societies understand and practice exchange? How do gifts differ from commodities, and what happens when these categories blur? Why do some forms of exchange feel moral while others provoke discomfort? Through ethnographic studies spanning Melanesian gift economies to Wall Street trading floors, we examine how economic practices are deeply embedded in social relationships, moral values, and cultural meanings. The course challenges the notion of “the economy” as a natural, self-regulating system by investigating how economic life is shaped by political forces, cultural values, and social relationships. We explore how people create, measure, and exchange value across different cultural contexts, examining topics such as debt, labor, consumption, and money. By engaging with both classic anthropological theories and contemporary ethnographic research, students will develop critical perspectives on capitalism, neoliberalism, and alternative economic systems. The course moves from foundational debates about the nature of economic exchange to current questions about financialization, digital currencies, and economic inequality, encouraging students to reflect on how economic practices shape – and are shaped by – human relationships, moral values, and social power.